15 June 2021
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Coin Collecting A to Z 10p coin hunt
The Royal Mint released a collection of A to Z 10p coins in 2018, with each of the 26 designs reflecting a Great British icon; many are already very rare. Discover more about the A to Z coins and how rare each coin is in our in-depth guide.
Back in 2018 The Royal Mint released 26 new 10p coins which take a tour through the alphabet exploring what it means to be British. Coin collectors were invited to follow the alphabet from the Angel of the North through to zebra crossings.
Watch a video introducing the coins from The Royal Mint below…
What are on the A to Z coins?
The symbols immortalised on the 10p coins are listed below, along with the 2018 mintage figures:
- A – Angel of the North (mintage of 84,000)
- B – Bond… James Bond (mintage of 84,000)
- C – Cricket (mintage of 84,000)
- D – Double Decker Bus (mintage of 84,000)
- E – English Breakfast (mintage of 84,000)
- F – Fish & Chips (mintage of 84,000)
- G – Greenwich Mean Time (mintage of 84,000)
- H – Houses of Parliament (mintage of 84,000)
- I – Ice-Cream Cone (mintage of 84,000)
- J – Jubilee (mintage of 84,000)
- K – King Arthur (mintage of 84,000)
- L – Loch Ness Monster (mintage of 84,000)
- M – Mackintosh (mintage of 84,000)
- N – National Health Service (mintage of 84,000)
- O – Oak Tree (mintage of 84,000)
- P – Post Box (mintage of 84,000)
- Q – Queuing (mintage of 83,000)
- R – Robin (mintage of 64,000)
- S – Stonehenge (mintage of 84,000)
- T – Teapot (mintage of 84,000)
- U – Union Flag (mintage of 84,000)
- V – Village (mintage of 84,000)
- W – World Wide Web (mintage of 63,000)
- X – X Marks the Spot (mintage of 84,000)
- Y – Yeoman (mintage of 63,000)
- Z – Zebra Crossing (mintage of 63,000)
QUICK LINKS
Find the latest 50p coins in the Royal Mint shop! (opens in new window)
Buy the 'Collect Modern Coin' souvenir guide
How much are the Beatrix Potter 50p coins worth?
How many A to Z coins are there?
The Royal Mint initially issued 2.6 million coins in March 2018, which were quickly snapped up by eagle-eyed collectors or those curious about the coins.
In 2019 a further 2.1 million coins were put into circulation, prompted perhaps by the complaints from collectors who couldn't find any of the coins. The new set of coins have a '2019' date and so it may be that those dated '2018' are more sought after since they were issued first.
How can I collect the A to Z coins?
The 26 coins were put into into circulation across the country back in 2018, with a collectors’ folder, and silver proof and uncirculated versions of the 10p coins, available to purchase from The Royal Mint website.
However, many coin collectors have been left frustrated by the lack of coins in circulation, with many complaining that as soon as they are released shop-keepers or post office workers keep the coins for themselves, or that as soon as someone spots one in their change they keep them.
If you're a strict 'change checker' then the best way to look out for the coins is in your change, however, few collectors have found the full set of coins in general circulation.
Other options include:
- The full set of A to Z coins can be purchased from The Royal Mint, however these will be in 'uncirculated' condition and will cost around £2 per coin, that's ten times the denomination on the coin.
- You can also purchase the set from Change Checker website for around £45 plus postage.
- Early Strike versions of the coins – those issued in 2018 – are also available from Change Checker
- Internet auction sites such as eBay have a range of the coins on offer, most are priced at around £1 per coin, but the price can vary depending on the design on the coin. Beware the postage charges too!
How much are the A to Z coins worth?
As we've seen, most of the coins sell for about £2 each, which is a good mark-up for a 10p coin. Obviously supply and demand influence the price and so the scarcity guide, and sales on sites such as eBay, give us some idea of the value.
The scarcest 10p coins are thought to be as follows (coin values are based on eBay sales prices and can vary):
A for Angel of the North (uncirculated 2018 versions have been offered on eBay for around £4)
Z for Zebra Crossing (£3 to £3.50)
Y for Yeoman Warder (around £2.50 to £3)
N for NHS 10p (£3)
J for Jubilee (£2 to £3)
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Video and images copyright The Royal Mint.